


A Warrior Awakens

by Djehuti



Category: World of Warcraft
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-02-14
Updated: 2011-02-14
Packaged: 2017-10-15 15:50:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,761
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/162422
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Djehuti/pseuds/Djehuti
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After Atreyuu is seriously injured while trying to prove himself as a warrior on Fray Island in The Barrens, he spends a few weeks in a deep coma.</p><p>Will Jexuun - a fellow guildmate and a being he loves like a father be enough to bring him out of darkness? (One-shot, COMPLETE)</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Warrior Awakens

**Author's Note:**

> To make things easier to write – any words that Atreyuu and Jexuun speak are in their native draenei language. Archim means “Father” and the word Shi is like saying “Dad”..so he would say the person’s name and add ‘shi’ at the end.
> 
> This is a retelling of an actual RP scene that I played with my friend and guildmate Jexuun. I figured it was good enough to post up here and I hope everyone enjoys it as much as we enjoyed playing it out. Atreyuu is my young draenei warrior, and Jexuun is an older more experienced warrior that he has developed a close relationship with. Atreyuu's wish is to someday be adopted by Jex.

**“The Young Warrior Awakens” – a World of Warcraft Ficlet  
** _Written by: Djehuti_

 _  
“My son…I rejoice at seeing you again. Someday we will be reunited…but now….it is not your time.”_

 _“Archim! Father! Please let me go with you! I cannot live knowing I have failed….that I have lost everything that meant something in my life! Please let me die and join you! Matiyu-shi!”_

 _“I have given my blessing to one that can watch over you in my place. I know you love him just as much as you loved me in life. You are my flesh and blood dear son…but the one I have marked is your father now. Go to him my son.”_

 _“Archim! No come back! Matiyu-shiii!”_

 __The warm glow that had surrounded him faded into a cool black darkness…..and he knew no more.

~~~~~~~~~~

“Lad……..I am sorry.”

The sorrowful voice sounded through the darkness…and Atreyuu’s spirit stirred. He knew this voice…from somewhere…but he knew not from where. He tried to follow it, but when he seemed to be getting closer, he was hit with a wall of blinding pain that would cause him to shrink back.

 _Archim? Is that you? Father help me! I am lost! I am afraid and I know not where I am!_

 __“I have pushed you too hard…..I hope you can forgive me…”

Atreyuu’s spirit latched onto the voice and struggled to follow it to its origin. When he was met with the wall of pain he fought – clawing at it. After what seemed like an eternity – he felt a great heaviness that seemed to encompass his entire body. The pain did not stop…but it lessened enough so that he was able to use it to try and fight the dark trying to creep its way back around his awareness.

“Trey?”

He struggled to move….but the pain worsened when he did. He felt something firm, yet soft beneath him and he could hear sounds like he was in a forest.

“Easy lad….stay still.”

That voice….who was that? Was it Archim coming for his spirit? Did he change his mind?

“Mm….uhnn…’chim?” It felt as if he was trying to speak through cotton…with a mouth that would not move properly. He attempted to open his eyes, but it felt as if they were glued shut. He struggled to move at least part of his body, but it felt like he had a few layers of plate armor that was a few sizes bigger than he was, pinning him down. He realized he was laying on his back, and tried to roll onto his side. This failed however, and he stiffened as a wave of pain assaulted him. He gasped in almost surprised agony and felt a hand steadying him for a few moments before gently easing him down again.

“Lad…do not try to move….” There was tightly reigned emotion in that voice, but it was there…and Atreyuu slowly tilted his head towards it, feeling the soft fabric of the pillow beneath his head. He managed to crack his eyes open, only to grimace with a squint as dazzling light assaulted them. His ribs throbbed if he tried to breathe too deeply, so he just lay there exhausted as his eyes tried to adjust. The brightness of the light dimmed to a more manageable level as the owner of the voice came into slow focus. It wasn’t Archim….but….

“J…….J-Jex…uun?"

The face that was watching him intently, usually so gruff and serious – was now relaxed into a smile…glowing eyes softened considerably. The warrior was sitting next to the bed and he nodded his head to affirm Atreyuu’s words.

“W-where?” Trey mumbled, quite confused as to what was going on. He saw Jex’s eyes flicker slightly and he saw the obvious concern and worry behind them.

“We found you badly injured…we brought you to Darnassus where the night elven priestesses have been taking care of you.”

Atreyuu blinked as he processed that, mind too groggy to understand fully what had happened. “D-darnassus?” He uttered, his voice sounding hoarse from lack of use.

Jexuun nodded. “The priestesses did not know if you would ever be moving again…you have been unconscious for weeks now. That is why you must stay still lad…”

Trey was silent as he pondered Jexuun’s words, wondering how he came to be in this predicament in the first place. His head throbbed with his efforts and with a shaking hand – the only one he could move freely at the moment – raised to his face. The swelling that had been there previously had gone down considerably, but his fingers found a raised angry scar slashed at an angle on his right eyebrow – arching towards his temple. He stiffened with a gasp as fragments came back at him in a rush.

He had been beaten…and very badly. A cowardly act by one of the fighters he had won against in a fair fight while on Fray Island. After the matches for the day was done, Atreyuu had been surrounded by the fighter that had lost and a few of his friends when he had been alone on the shore. It had been night time, and the young warrior had been standing on the beach behind the barracks to admire the stars before going to bed to prepare for the matches in the morning. All of the thugs ambushing him were much bigger and stronger than he was – and much older with more experience. It had been easy for the group to subdue and overwhelm a young draenei male not even fully grown.

Atreyuu remembered the harsh laughter and the blinding pain when two of them had held him tight from behind, wrenching his arm at a hard angle to restrain him and causing it to dislocate in their fervor. Then the beating had really begun….and it seemed as if it never stopped. It had continued viciously until there was barely any breath left in him and he was not even aware when they had tossed him unceremoniously on the shore of the mainland after dragging him across the sand spit that joined Fray Island to the shore of the Barrens. There, to make sure that Atreyuu stayed silenced, one of them dealt him a hard blow on the head with a blunt weapon. Thinking that they had dispatched the boy, the group had left him bleeding and broken in the sand.

“Trey…” Jexuun’s voice was concerned, but it was not enough to snap the boy out of his thoughts.

The young warrior started to tremble when he remembered why he had dared go to Fray Island alone in the first place. He remembered how angry he had been that night in Stormwind, when he was with Jexuun and other members of Maelstrom. He remembered how furious he had gotten, when Raiku kept on calling him ‘boy’ and ‘child’. Despite Jexuun demanding him to – he refused to apologise for his outburst, insisting that Raiku apologise instead for insulting him. The night had ended in roaring anger and tears, after the rogue had challenged him to fight her to try and teach him some sort of lesson. Jexuun had yelled at him that night….and that perhaps upsetted him the most. He had ran off alone to Fray Island, to try and prove that he was capable of succeeding as a warrior…and as a young adult…without any help.

“Atreyuu.”

The young teen’s thoughts snapped to the present…and he looked at Jexuun with wide tear-filled eyes as he was suddenly overcome with deep shame. He could only stare for only a few moments, before with a strangled sound – he forced his body to roll away from Jex – nearly blacking out from the pain but refusing to give in. He curled tightly, covering his face with his free hand since his other arm was bound tightly and wrapped against his body.

“I-I-I have failed!” He sobbed. “I s-should have gone with Archim when he called!” He shuddered with sorrow when he felt a large gentle hand stroke his hair. “Why did I not die?” The fingers that were threading through his hair soothingly paused for a moment.

“No…” Came the pained quiet response behind him. “It is not you that has failed. It is I. I have pushed you too hard…and I fear that this was all my doing. I am sorry…”

Atreyuu stilled with a startled choked sound – not having heard Jexuun’s voice sound that way before. He was not expecting his guardian to say something like _that_.

“But….you are my guardian…and I disobeyed you…even though I knew you were right. How can you say it was your doing?” Trey asked miserably. He heard Jexuun sigh behind him. “I understand…if you do not want to have anything to do with me…” He added quieter in a defeated tone – his voice betraying the pain of what that would mean, in his heart. The very thought that Jex would reject him, and resign from guardianship caused his spirit to ache with the very same lonely emptiness and grief that losing his family had brought him. His hand fisted the sheets beneath him so tightly, that if his nails had been against skin, they would have drawn blood.

“Atreyuu….” Jexuun sighed again, stroking his hair gently. “I am not mad at you….I am proud of you.”

Trey froze…heart pounding, scarcely believing that he had heard Jex correctly. It…It couldn’t be. During this interval, Jexuun had gotten up, picked up his stool and had moved to the other side of the bed so that he could face Trey directly. The youth merely stared at him in pained confusion, not even wiping the tears from his face.

“But…..but why?” He whispered hoarsely. “I…I have dishonored you with my actions and shamed myself….I…I do not deserve…..” He could not finish the sentence and he lowered his head, unable to look at the elder warrior anymore. There was a brief silence, and even though Atreyuu did not look up to see, he could sense that Jexuun had leaned forward, looking at him intently.

“I have always admired how fast you learn in skill – and you are a good lad. That is why I have always been proud of you. I am proud of being able to see you grow strong….and I am proud of the strong warrior you will become.” Jexuun murmured softly – voice calm but with its usual deep gruffness.

Atreyuu looked up at Jexuun with an expression that roiled with mixed emotions, but he was deeply moved with what the elder warrior had said. They stared at each other for another few silent moments, before Jexuun smiled and reached up - rubbing a thumb along the scar over the boy’s face, tracing it along his eyebrow and his temple.

“Hm……that is a good one.” He muttered, eyes twinkling with sudden humor. Atreyuu blinked, but did not move away from the touch, looking up with mild confusion. Jexuun couldn’t help but chuckle slightly. “Ladies seem to admire scars earned in battle..” He teased, attempting to lighten the mood and change the subject slightly.

Atreyuu’s mouth twitched as he let out a brief sound of amusement and surprise. The comment reminded him of Deila – the young night elf druid in their guild that seemed to be closest to his age. They had developed a good friendship, but he hadn’t seen her in ages. He missed her greatly. He sighed and wiped his face, betraying his fatigue with a yawn.

“Now lad, get some rest.” Jexuun murmured, helping the boy get comfortable on his back again so as to not put pressure on his injuries. He tucked the blankets around the boy quietly without a word.

Atreyuu nodded, though his eyes were sad. “I want to stay with you….and fight at your side.” The elder warrior had not even left him yet – but he missed him all ready. Like he always did when they parted ways.

“There will be plenty time for that…but you have to get rest and regain your strength.” Jexuun said softly, but his tones were stern. Trey was to stay put for as long as was necessary and there was no if ands or buts.

Atreyuu relented and did not complain when the elder warrior held a gourd filled with water to his lips so that he could relieve his thirst. Once he had finished drinking his fill, Trey settled with a tired sigh, eyes all ready feeling heavy. Jexuun patted his head one more time before getting up and turning to leave. As his tall broad form was moving away…one word whispered from Atreyuu’s lips of their own accord.

“Jexuun-shi.”

The tall draenei paused in the doorway, and despite the fact that the night elf architecture accommodated their own taller than average height – the warrior still nearly filled the space and had to duck slightly. Atreyuu didn’t move, but he followed him with his eyes.

“When I woke up on this planet…and found out that I lost everything dear to me. I told myself that I would never care again. I tried……really I did. But then there was the guild….and then…I met you.” At his words, Trey saw Jex’s silhouette stop and turn slightly, listening. There was no way that Atreyuu could stop now – even if he tried. His voice was tired, weak…but still filled with deep feeling. “I tried not to….I tried not to care….but I failed that too….” He closed his eyes briefly, and he heard the sounds of Jexuun’s hooves on the wooden floor of the tree dwelling as the elder approached the bedside.

“Are you done?” Came the soft words, though hinted with mild irritation. It was not the fact that he was displeased with what the boy was saying…not at all. But Jexuun was not the type of character that would beat around the bush as the humans would say. If there was to be something said…than it was to be said directly without any avoiding the issue.

Atreyuu recognized this, and looked up at Jex – biting his lip slightly. “I-I saw Archim…and he said that he had given you his blessing…and said that you were my father now. I remember that I did not want to return…but Archim made me stay….because he knew….he knows that I love you.” The boy paused, not looking at Jex directly and a single tear traced down his cheek from one of his closed eyes. It was as if the deepest thoughts of his heart were being laid bare and he could not stop the words pouring out – even if he had tried.

“I love you just as much as I ever loved Matiyu-shi.”

There was a long pause, and for a moment, Atreyuu felt a dart of fear. Fear that he had ruined everything. Then he heard a shuffling movement as Jexuun knelt down by the bedside to be more at eye level.

“Lad….”

Atreyuu opened his eyes, glancing hesitantly at the face above him. Jexuun’s face was unreadable, but his serious eyes had softened a fraction once again.

“Lad, I do not have children…..but that has not prevented me in loving you like my own son.” The words were soft, but Atreyuu heard them clearly. He looked up at Jex with vulnerable wide eyes and with the expression of one that had been yearning for a family. A father. To be accepted and loved, nurtured and healed from the unbearable loneliness. Jexuun patted his hair for a few moments and then sighed.

“Get some rest lad…one of the lady elves should be here any minute now to check on you.”

Trey nodded, hand fluttering weakly on the covers, trying to reach out. Jex, seeing this, took his hand and gave it an encouraging squeeze. Only then, did the boy’s eyes drift slowly shut. After a few minutes, sure that the boy had drifted off, Jexuun bent down to place a gentle kiss on the boy’s forehead. Letting go of the small limp hand, the tall warrior stood up to go…pausing when Trey uttered a half asleep mumble.

“Mm…..love…..you Jxx….shh…”

Smiling a little, Jexuun turned, and walked out of the door to let the boy rest.

 **THE END!!**


End file.
